


Roots and Honey

by RootsAndHoney



Category: Roots and Honey
Genre: M/M, Older man, Twink, lgbt fiction, muscle daddy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-06-27 13:34:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15686448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RootsAndHoney/pseuds/RootsAndHoney
Summary: "With affection and kindness, love takes root in the most unexpected of places."A lonely truck driver and a pretty boy drifter, happen to meet on a boiling hot day under the Texas sun. The two find a quick kinship with one another and could quite possibly find a whole lot more.





	1. Bottle Blond

**Author's Note:**

> You can get a look at the characters and keep up with art updates at these locations!! (as these are ocs, I highly recommend checking them out before reading)
> 
> https://78.media.tumblr.com/144fed131210a16004d5cee6be1d53fa/tumblr_pduy64r1fy1xclbi2o1_540.jpg
> 
> https://rootsandhoney.tumblr.com/  
> https://twitter.com/RootsAndHoney

Roots and Honey

chapter 1  
Bottle Blond

 

It was hot. Not just hot, it was damn hot. The temperature had been 93 and counting by noon, and it was two now. It seemed like ages since Coco had began walking and he was far past regretting it. The Texas sun beat down on him from high over head, he cursed himself for his restless nature that had lead to his impromptu hike down the deserted road. Being a drifter, Coco was used to walking for hours on end, but the heat was killing him today. Sweat gathered on his forehead. What wasn't soaked into his bandanna, rolled down his face to stain his shirt below. Letting out a heavy sigh, Coco adjusted his bags which had long since grown heavy and troublesome. Fixing the straps, he shifted the weight slightly and continued on his way.

 

The truck stop he'd been at was several miles behind him now. He regretted leaving the air conditioned burger joint that was attached, but he'd noticed he was starting to get looks from the staff. Perhaps he should have been a little more discreet in running off with that truck driver for several minutes and coming back to count his money at the table. Not that he saw what business it was of the staff anyways, surly a handjob around back of their store wasn't the worst thing that had happened on the premises. Regardless, he had seen his welcome was worn out and decided to leave before he was made to.

 

Exhausted Coco dropped his bags to the ground and squatted down to rummage through his backpack. Pulling out a small makeup pouch, he took out a compact mirror to inspect his makeup. It seemed well enough, especially considering he was sweating like a pig. His bandanna was tied around under his hair and formed a bow atop his forehead, keeping him cute despite the sweat. His thick, wavy blond locks bounced around the headband, accented by his sparkling hoop earrings. Coco had to admit that he looked fairly amazing given his situation. Deciding he'd fawned over himself enough, he was about to snap the mirror closed when he caught sight of something in the distance behind him. Coco narrowed his gaze and turned around to face whatever was coming towards him. Realizing it was a semi-truck, a huge smile broke out on his face.

 

Quickly putting his makeup kit away, Coco adjusted his shorts and tank top to make a good appearance. He held out his arm and tried to wave the truck down. He wasn't a girl, but hopefully the guy would be nice enough and give him a ride. A small sigh of relief passed as he noticed the truck was slowing down nearing its approach. It was a huge semi-truck, the paint was bright red and seemed new, even the smoke stack was shiny, spotless chrome. Finally coming to a stop beside of him, the truck driver rolled down the passenger side window and called out for Coco to walk over to speak to him.

 

"Ma'am, you okay?" The man's voice was gruff and strong.

 

"Not a ma'am," Coco laughed softly, getting as close to the truck as he could. "but I'm okay, all in one piece."

 

"O-oh..." The man was obviously embarrassed, but at least he didn't seem angry with the mixup. "Well, what're you doin' way out here by yerself?" He looked around, seeing no one else within view.

 

"I got restless at the last truck stop." This was mostly true. "So I picked up my bags and started walking."

 

"The last stop?" The man's eyes widened. "That... That's over four miles back! Ain't you tired? This heat ain't for walkin' in."

 

"Exhausted, actually." Coco laughed, brushing his hair out of his face and placing his hands on his hips. The blond subtly swayed his hips, hoping he could fully pique the driver's interest. "I'm tired, but it ain't exactly camping grounds out here. I'd be coyote food..." He smirked sarcastically. "Or cannibal food. This looks like the place for it."

 

"Heh." The man gave a soft laugh. "Well, uh.. You need a ride?"

 

"I sure would appreciate it!" Coco bat his eyes flirtatiously. "I like being steamy, but this heat is unbearable."

 

"Mn..." The man ignored what he assumed was a sexual innuendo. "I can't very well leave you out here. Climb on up." The door lock clicked open and the man nodded his head to Coco.

 

"Thank you so much!" Coco hurried over to gathered up his bags, hoisting himself up onto the step outside the passenger side door.

"One thing first." The redhead narrowed his gaze. "You carrying a weapon?"

 

"A pretty little thing like me, wandering out here in the middle of God's nowhere, all by myself?" Coco smirked. "Of course I am. I ain't lookin' to die."

 

"Tch" The man huffed, cracking a smile. "Fair enough. Get in."

 

Coco tossed his bags up into the cab and grabbed hold of the doorframe to pull himself up into the seat. Pulling the heavy door closed, Coco locked the door and flopped back into the passenger seat. He felt so small in the large cushioned chair, in fact he felt very small in the cab in general. It was one of those roomy, extended cabs. The simple and compact interior decorating made it look even better. Looking back behind the seat, he saw a couch on the wall behind the driver, a small table, and what he presumed was another couch behind him.

 

"Nice ride." Coco said in awe. "You got a mini fridge, a little hot plate... Do those couches make a bed?"

 

"Yeah, it’s pretty nice." The man looked between them, grabbing Coco's bags and tossing them into the back and under the table with near zero effort. “I’ve had this truck goin’ on three years now.”

 

The image of the truck driver’s bulging muscles as he tossed his luggage wouldn’t fade easily from Coco's mind. It had definitely been a show of strength, a subtle “No funny business” to keep Coco from trying anything. In honesty, the man almost looked like a threat in and of himself entirely. He was middle aged, but obviously took very good care of himself, aside from his messy mane of auburn hair. The man was built like a brick house; broad shoulders, bulging muscles, a thick middle and strong legs. Coco was fully accepting the idea that the stranger probably wrestled bears in his spare time. Even his face seemed strong. The man had large eyebrows and aged, but agile eyes, with nice cheekbones and a strong chin. Despite all this, he had a kindness in his eyes, a softness that Coco wasn’t familiar with.

 

"So, what's yer name?" The redhead asked.

 

"Cornelius, but my friends call me Coco." He crossed his legs. "Or well, my followers do anyway."

 

"Followers?" The man curled his lip at the word. "What does that mean?"

 

"Oh, you know, like on social media." Coco buckled himself into the seat. "People that follow your account to see what you post."

 

"Uh-huh..." The driver quirked a brow but kept his gaze on the road before him. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Coco." He felt a little silly saying the nickname. It was cute and soft, not something he was used to in another man.

 

"So what's your name, big, bulky, and muscular?" Coco leaned against the arm rest, raising his eyebrows as he glanced over the man once again. "I bet it's something impressive."

 

"Ichiro Machimiya." The man said flatly, taking his drink from the cup holder and sipping from it.

 

"I'm sorry," Coco lifted his head from where it rested on his hand, grinning slightly. "Machichi?"

 

Ichiro choked on his drink, snorting and sputtering before shooting an ugly look to Coco. "What?" He huffed. "No, it's Machimiya. Ma-chi-mi-ya." He stressed the syllables. "It's Japanese..."

 

"Machimiya..." Coco smiled softly. "That is a very strong sounding name." He leaned back in the seat. "But Machichi is much cuter. Can I call you that instead?"

 

"I'd rather not." Ichiro blushed. 

 

"I can't make any promises, Ichiro." Coco smiled, taking note of the faint red tenting the man's cheeks. "It's an awfully cute nickname."

 

Ichiro sighed in annoyance, it was cute, but that was precisely why he didn’t want it. Rather than bantering on about it, he simply decided to change the subject. He'd wondered about the large baggage that Coco had been carrying. It was incredibly heavy, yet the young man carried it with only a vague struggle in his grip. How long had he been traveling like this?

 

"So, where you headed, Coco?" Ichiro asked, finally taking a successful sip of his drink. "That baggage of yers is pretty heavy. You moving or somethin'?"

 

"I'm not moving, really, just traveling." Coco replied softly. "Trying to get anywhere than where I was." He tried not to eye Ichiro's drink with envy. His mouth was as dry as the dirt and dust lining the asphalt beneath them.

 

"So yer a drifter?" Ichiro noticed the longing stare but didn't address it at first. "You some kinda run away? Where are yer parents?"

 

"Parents?" Coco made a confused expression. "Oh, no, no. I'm not a run away. I'm twenty-five." The young man wanted to laugh at the idea, no wonder the man had acted so disinterested in his subtle flirtation. Though, at least that said good things about the stranger he was riding with. "I'm just out and about. Don't have a real destination in mind."

 

"Sounds nice." Ichiro set his drink back in the holder. "Just being able to get up and leave, go wherever you want with no responsibilities."

 

"It's certainly not a bad way to live." Coco didn't sound as enthused as he should have. "What about you, what do you do?"

 

"I'm an OTR driver." Ichiro sighed. "Means I travel long distances with my load."

 

"Oh cool," Coco shifted completely sideways in the seat to face Ichiro. "Do you own this thing or is it company property? What are you carrying?"

 

"Yeah, I own my rig." The man passed a sideways glance to Coco, feeling mildly uncomfortable with being so blatantly stared at. "I haul loads for multiple companies, right now I'm carrying a huge order of car parts to a big company in Denver. You oughta see the place, it goes on for miles! It should have its own zip code. Got a brother who works there, walks 3 miles a day during his shift.”

 

“Holy shit.” Coco looked horrified. “That’s so much! I’ve seen places kinda like that though. Big buildings that ain’t got no business being that big in the first place.”

 

“Yeah, an’ they’re still adding on to it. It’s crazy.” Ichiro gave an exasperated laugh. “Anyway, after I drop this shipment off, I'm scheduled to transport parts from there, to somewhere else."

 

"That's pretty neat." The blond leaned against the seat. "I've only met a couple of truckers who own their trucks. Most of the guys I've met just work for the company. But you're like, taking charge of your life." He smiled. "That's really cool, Machichi."

 

"W-well I don't know about that necessarily." He ignored the nickname. "But thank you anyway, I guess." The man stole a glance at his exhausted looking passenger. "Coco, you um, you thirsty?"

 

"Hm?" Coco looked up at Ichiro, a little excited that the man was concerned. "Yeah, I ran out of water a ways back."

 

"The mini-fridge behind you," Ichiro gestured to the bottom cabinet just behind Coco's seat. "There's water and some sodas in there. Get whatever you want." Ichiro was a little nervous to allow him out of sight. He knew Coco had a weapon and allowing him to go out of view was frankly stupid of him. But the younger man looked as though he was going to pass out and Ichiro wasn't digging the idea of having to pull over just to get the guy a drink.

 

"Thanks, I'm about to thirst to death." Coco unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed the arm rest out of the way and stepped back to the refrigerator. Opening the fridge up, Coco surveyed its contents. There were water bottles and sodas, as Ichiro had said, but there were also a few snacks, sandwiches, and beer.

 

"Girl! You got some beer!" Coco sounded way too excited.

 

"Girl?" Ichiro sounded confused at the expression. "Listen, don't open those while I'm driving. I could get arrested if a cop pulled me over."

 

"I'm not gonna open it!" The young man huffed. "I wouldn't dare drink without you."

 

Ichiro made a face but decided not to question the familiarity of Coco's phrasing. He heard some shuffling from the fridge and then Coco crawled back up into the seat and buckled in. Looking over, he saw that Coco had taken a water bottle rather than one of the sodas. This actually surprised Ichiro, he'd taken the boy as the type to opt for sweets instead of practicality.

 

"Where are you from?"

 

"What?" Coco felt a pang of nervousness shoot through his stomach. "What's that supposed to mean?" He tried to laugh off the question. "I'm just a drifter, remember?"

 

"Yeah, well drifters are from somewhere." Ichiro persisted. "It's nothin' really. Just you don't look like the Texan type." He glanced over Coco's tight but revealing tank top and cut off shorts that were almost clear up to his ass. "Least not for a boy."

 

"Tch, yeah," Coco snorted. "I'm kind of hating Texas so far. It's the worst." He popped the top on his drink. "I’ve got called so much hateful shit since I came to this Hell state, I was actually pretty scared to get in the truck with you..." He admitted, taking a long drink from the water bottle. "I mean, it's just been really dangerous here." Coco wanted to look at Ichiro, gauge his reaction to these statements, but he was too afraid. He gazed out the window instead. "It's cool to have met someone nice for a change."

 

Ichiro wasn't lost on how the younger man completely avoided his question, but decided he would drop the subject for now. It was rather lucky for the young man that he’d happened by. After confusing Coco for a woman, Ichiro had realized right away that things could have been extremely dangerous for him if he'd kept walking. Though he wasn't sure he understood Coco's sense of style, he certainly understood what would happen to him if the wrong person or people saw him.

 

\---

 

It had been six hours since Coco and Ichiro had met. In that time it seemed like they shared a lifetime of stories, yet they hadn't shared a single truly intimate detail about themselves. Ichiro still didn't know where Coco came from or why he was traveling. And he certainly hadn't mentioned anything of his divorce or sad, empty home. Ichiro felt that perhaps it was better this way. He enjoyed Coco's company, but in all likelihood, Coco would disappear from his life very soon. If he was as much of a drifter as he seemed from his stories, then their budding friendship would not make it past three days. Still, Ichiro found himself wanting to provide for Coco, at least until they were somewhere more tolerant and open minded. 

 

The sun was setting over the horizon, Ichiro looked down at the clock on the dash. It was a little past time for him to pull over for the night. Seeing a small motel on the right, Ichiro turned into the parking lot and switched off the ignition.

 

"W-what?" Coco felt nervous about the location, he wasn't taken to motels for anything other than being on his back for a couple hours. "Why are we here?"

 

"There's a food joint across the street." Ichiro said nonchalantly. "I gotta get a room here for the night first, though. Ya see, as a trucker, I'm only allowed to drive for eleven hours at a time. Then I gotta "clock out" so to speak, I get up to about 10 hours to sleep, eat, whatever, then I get back on the road."

 

"I see." Coco looked amazed. "So you were already driving, what?" He pondered for a moment. "Five hours before you picked me up?"

 

"Yup." Ichiro yawned. "It's 8:25 now, so we'll grab dinner and then I gotta hit the hay." He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door and stepped down to the asphalt below. The stretch in his legs felt amazing after riding for so long. He could hear Coco sigh with the same feeling on the other side of the truck.

 

Coming around the front of the truck, Coco marveled at how large Ichiro was. He had known the man was bulky, but he was tall too. He couldn't help but give him a once over, his eyes eagerly taking in the man's large frame. Slowly looking up, he noticed that he only came to the man's shoulders. It almost made him nervous.

 

"You okay?" Ichiro felt flushed under the younger man's gaze, he was eager to interrupt whatever thoughts were going through Coco's head. 

 

"Y-yeah, sorry." A deep blush prickled up across Coco's cheeks. He was thankful for the darkness around them that hid it from Ichiro's sight. "You're just really tall. I didn't expect it. I could tell you were big, but you're huge."

 

"Is that a compliment?" Ichiro sounded confused, walking along towards the empty motel office.

 

"Oh yeah." Coco picked up his pace to keep up with the older man. He immediately wanted to eat his own words, he hoped that Ichiro didn't think anything of the comment. 

 

Ichiro said nothing in return. It wasn't exactly an uncomfortable silence, but it embarrassed Coco nonetheless. His compliments were genuine, which was somewhat foreign to him already, but he wasn't sure just how genuine he was allowed to be. He certainly didn't want to creep Ichiro out or make him regret having helped him earlier. Perhaps he would keep his body specific compliments to himself.

 

Holding the door for Coco, Ichiro followed in after him and walked up to the counter. It wasn't long before they were greeted by a less than enthused worker. Ichiro felt the woman picking apart the odd couple in her head, but whatever she thought, she made no mention of it.

 

"One or two beds?" She asked, ringing them up at the cash register.

 

"Oh my," Ichiro huffed. "Two, please... actually..." He turned to Coco. "You um... You wanna stay in my room or..."

 

"I-I'm good with one room, whatever you want."

 

"Yeah, one room, two beds then." Ichiro looked back to the clerk, taking his wallet out.

 

"Do I need to pay for my ha--" Coco was cut off shortly.

 

"Nah, I got it." The older man smiled, handing the woman his credit card. "I don't mind paying, consider it my treat for the night."

 

"Thank you..." Coco felt his cheeks burning at the sight of the man's smile. He was still a bit suspicious about the hotel room, but that didn't make the man any less charming in this moment. He watched as the clerk finished charging Ichiro's card and returned it to him. "Everything good?" He asked.

 

"Yeah, let's go eat." The red head held the door open for him once again then followed after. "I hope ya' don't mind me parking over here. It's just kinda difficult to get big rigs in and out of small parking lots."

 

"Oh, it's fine." Coco struggled a little to keep up. "I don't mind the walking, I'm used to it." Returning the favor, Coco held the door open for Ichiro. The smell of food hit him in the face and he almost wanted to make an audible groan at the delicious scent.

 

Sitting down at a booth, Ichiro waved down a waitress who said she would be right with them. He picked up the small menu from the corner of the table and Coco did the same. Ichiro looked over the list, stealing a look at his blond companion. Coco was smiling far too happily to be about the food. The young man seemed a little giddy to sit across from him for whatever reason. He wondered how often Coco actually ate with the people he encountered... His stories had all seemed very fleeting and impersonal.

 

"Good evening, y'all." The waitress gave a strange look to Coco but quickly redirected her gaze to Ichiro instead. "What can I get for you?"

 

"I'll take the cheddar cheese melt with a side of bacon. I'll have sweet tea to drink."

 

"Got it." The waitress wrote down Ichiro's order and then, reluctantly looked to Coco. What was such a small thing doing with such a big guy? "And for you, honey?"

 

"Mmm," Coco looked at the menu for a moment longer before setting it to the side and turning to the waitress. "I want the bacon cheeseburger, no fries, and I'll have water." He really wasn't all that hungry tonight so he thought he would go easy on his wallet for once.

 

"Okay." She said, writing down the order. "Will this be on separate tickets?"

 

"One ticket is fine." Ichiro said.

 

"Alrighty then," the waitress smiled. "I'll be back with your drinks in just a moment."

 

Waiting until the waitress left, Coco leaned forward a little, looking slightly ashamed.

 

"You don't have to pay for mine, Machichi." He reached for his pocket. "I feel bad using your money when I have my own, ya know?"

 

"Don't worry about it." Ichiro waved his hand dismissively. "I really don't mind paying. It's nice to have dinner with another human being for a change."

 

"Mn..." Coco laughed softly. "I know the feeling, I usually just have dinner with animals who happen to look like people.”

 

Ichiro couldn’t help but laugh at Coco’s rude comment. 

 

Coco noticed the looks the waitress and her coworker gave them from the counter. Had he known Ichiro better, he'd have played up some sort of flirtation to get a rise out of the judgemental onlookers. Instead, he chose to ignore the whispers and stares, focusing on the man across from him. Ichiro was somewhat worn looking. Coco could tell that the man had worked hard in his life, there were various knicks of scar tissue on his arms and his face was wrinkled with age. He wondered how old the man was, but decided it would be rude to ask just yet.

 

"I kind of expected you to be a vegetarian or somethin'." The man suddenly spoke up.

 

"What?" Coco sounded amused. "Why would you assume something like that?” He raised a brow. “Is it a stereotype thing?" He asked with a coy grin.

 

"No, I mean, yes." Ichiro corrected himself. "Not because you're… guhh.." He wasn't sure how or if to continue, wanting to erase the past few sentences from existence. “Um…”

 

"Gay." Coco filled in for him.

 

"Okay, I thought so." Ichiro muttered. "But not because you're gay, I just figured with you being so lean and I dunno, the hair and all, you seem like a city guy."

 

"Well, while not all beautiful, gay, city boys eat meat, I love it." He grinned. "But I happen to be one who does. Though," he nodded his head. "I do prefer to eat 'cruelty free' meat when I'm able."

 

"What in the world is cruelty free me--"

 

Their conversation was interrupted by the waitress returning with their drinks. Sitting them down, she asked if they needed anything else and placed their straws on the table. Ichiro and Coco assured her everything was fine and she left them once again. Ichiro turned and caught the tension the woman stirred up with the other waitress behind the counter. When they caught him looking, the two suddenly knew how to mind their own business. He turned back to Coco and realized just how uncomfortable he was.

 

"Don't pay them any attention." Ichiro tore open his straw and placed it in his drink.

 

“I’m sorry?” Coco was confused by the comment.

“Listen, they think they know somethin’, but all they really got going on is a bunch of bullshit." He huffed, taking a swig of his sweet tea. "I know yer an adult, but I’ve been around a bit longer than you have. Trust me when I tell ya’ that they just don't like people who are different, because different scares them.” Ichiro leaned in slightly. “It’s sad, but it makes people like them two, assume that different people don’t exist naturally."

 

"That's, oddly open minded and perceptive of you." Coco gave a look of genuine interest.

 

"It's just what I've learned over time." He turned his gaze to his clasped hands, not looking at Coco. "My father came to America about ten years before he met my mother. He overcame terrible discrimination, opened up his own auto shop, made himself a nice little life. Times were changing but most people stayed the same. Hate is a strong word and an even stronger feeling. My dad always told me that my mother was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in the whole ten years he’d lived in this country.” Ichiro furrowed his brow, a small, but almost sad smile on his lips. “Not ‘cause of her eyes or face. But because when she met him, she saw a human being who deserved respect, before she saw anything else." Ichiro made eye contact with Coco once again. "That's what's important in life."

 

Coco stared in awe of the man for a moment. He wanted to say something else but was interrupted by the waitress delivering their food. 

 

Their dinner was the first pleasant one either of them had experienced in quite a while. Ichiro was used to being alone by now, he hardly even interacted with the other truckers neither at stops or over the radio. Of course he gave others heads up of traffic situations or cops running radar, but he had no meaningful relationships with any of them. Given his mostly, self imposed, solitude, he found himself driving in silence or quiet radio for a large amount of the time. It had been a nice change of pace to have someone ride along with him and it was comforting to spend his dinner with another person rather than a schedule book or newspaper.

 

Coco on the other hand was used to eating with others, but generally the men were gross and leering. While they may feign interest in him, they were only really concerned with one thing, and it wasn't the food on their plate. Coco was accustomed to this, of course, but it didn't make him any less annoyed. More than anything it was the fakeness of it all that bothered him. He honestly preferred when the men just paid him and got it over with. No sweet nothings, awkward meals, or requests for numbers. But eating with Ichiro was comfortable. The man hadn't made any creepy requests or sent any longing or lustful looks his way.

 

The end of dinner came, and Coco felt like a bit of a cheapskate, Coco pulled out a couple of dollars to leave as the tip when they got up to leave. In honesty, he didn't want to leave a tip for the woman and her judgemental self, but he knew that she likely lived off her tips. He made sure to make eye contact with her and flash the money as he tossed it onto the table and followed after Ichiro.

 

"You really are very nice, Machichi." Coco hurried after Ichiro, sticking very close to him as they crossed the street back to the motel.

 

"I don't know if I'd call me nice." Ichiro joked. "But I'm glad you think so."

 

"Well, I mean, you could be a murderer." Coco's voice dripped with sarcasm. "But you haven't cut my skin off just yet, so I'll refrain from any ill judgement for now." He gave an awkward laugh, looking a little nervous as he leaned against the motel wall. "You know what I said about cannibals, earlier?"

 

"Where are you going with this?" Ichiro asked with mild concern, stopping to fumble with the keys to their motel room.

 

"I know it sounds weird, but I have a legitimate fear of that when I'm out in places like this."

 

"You're afraid cannibals are going to attack you?" Ichiro couldn't have said it any more deadpan insulting if he had tried.

 

"I know it sounds stupid!" Coco huffed. "But it's just like, being out there by myself like that... Sometimes it does get scary."

 

"Well, I won't let any cannibals carry you off tonight, how's that?" Ichiro opened the door.

 

"Thank god, I can sleep in peace." Coco rolled his eyes and stopped short of the doorway. "Oh wait, I should get my bags."

 

"I'll get 'em." Ichiro turned back to the truck. "I gotta get my change of clothes too."

 

"Thanks." The young blond peeked inside the dark room.

 

"Here, I'll get the lights." Ichiro flipped the switch on the wall, only to watch the lights flicker on then die completely. 

 

"Nice." Coco crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, staring into the dark room.

 

"Well..." Ichiro simply placed his hands on his hips and surveyed their wonderful arrangements for the night. "Make yerself at home." He quipped and headed off to the truck to gather their belongings.

 

Coco watched as the man disappeared from the doorway. Traversing the unknown layout in total darkness, Coco managed to stumble his way to the first bed and to a lamp at the night stand. Flicking the lamp on, he took in his surroundings. The room was small and quaint, a couple of bad paintings on the walls over the beds and a simple dresser with a mirror framed behind it. Coco flopped down on the bed farthest from the door. It was so soft and smelled much cleaner than he had expected. Stretching out, Coco could have fallen asleep right there, except he was greeted by the smell of his own sweat from earlier in the day.

 

"Eugh, gross." He huffed. "I gotta take a shower..."

 

"I bet you do." Ichiro appeared in the doorway, toting both of Coco's bags as well as one of his own. "You were walking out there today, it couldn't have been nice."

 

"You're tellin' me. It was awfu-- wait..." Coco looked concerned. "Can you smell me? Do I smell that bad?" Nervousness wracked up the young man's spine and he started to sound distressed.

 

"No, no!" Ichiro felt bad for having poked fun. "I can't smell you at all. I just figured you worked up a sweat walking today so you'd need a bath..." A small silence passed between them. "Fuck," Ichiro mumbled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

 

"It's fine." Coco smelled of his shirt and looked up to the older man. "I'm really just glad you can't smell me. That would be so embarrassing."

 

"Uhh, well here's yer stuff." Ichiro tossed the two bags to Coco's bed and turned to his own. "You can take a shower tonight, I'll get one in the morning."

 

"That's cool, I don't imagine you got anywhere near as grody as I got today." He pulled out his pajamas, makeup, and hair brush, eying the gun in his duffle bag as he did so. "Um, Machichi..."

 

"Yeah?" Ichiro turned around, seeing Coco, open handed with his pistol resting in his palm. "What's this?"

 

"I told you earlier I had a weapon to protect myself." The blond smiled softly. "But I um.. I thought you'd feel safer if you had it for the night. Until we get to know each other, I mean."

 

"But then I could hurt you... If I wanted." Ichiro stood silently for a moment, staring at the gun and thinking it over. "How about you keep the gun and I take the ammo. That way we can both feel safe."

 

"Deal." A soft smile graced Coco's lips. This guy was seeming more and more like a real gentleman, he couldn't get enough of it. He emptied the cartridge and handed it over to the man, placing the gun casing back into his backpack.

 

Ichiro watched as Coco hurried off to the shower, toting his backpack full of toiletries with him. As well as they had been getting along, he wasn't surprised when he heard the door lock once closed. He waited for a few moments to hear the water switch on before he finally began to dress down. 

 

Pulling his t-shirt over his head, Ichiro folded the shirt up and placed it on the dresser across from the beds. He shot a solemn look to the bathroom, deciding he was comfortable with the odds of not being caught, he began to inspect himself in the mirror. He looked exhausted, but no worse for wear, usually he looked like the dead at the end of a long day. Ichiro yawned, stretching his arms over his head and flexing his biceps to look at the muscle tone. He lowered his arms as he exhaled, turning to the side to examine his stomach. He'd gained a little weight, but that wasn't so bad. He'd never had washboard abs by any means, but the strong muscle tone was still there, still impressive. Ichiro always had a thick and stocky frame since he was young. He'd developed broad shoulders, a barreled chest, and wide waist during puberty. It came as no surprise to him that he was getting a bit of a pooch to his belly again. The memory of the bullying he received made him wince, but he'd taken that frustration and turned that thick fat to muscle. He supposed he looked good, but that was so hard for him to think without the reassurance of his wife.

 

Tamara...

 

Ichiro closed his eyes and tried to remember what it was like when she loved him. The memory of that happiness was so fleeting now, only a vague feeling that he couldn't quite recall. Her smile and compliments had always meant so much to him and now he rarely even heard her voice. Tamara only spoke to him when it regarded the kids, when he would see them, whatever excuse for why he couldn't. He was happy she never made a habit of that. She had only actively tried to stop him from seeing his kids once and it had not gone over well with their daughter, Michiko. She had always been a daddy's girl, so the divorce was difficult enough for her. She handled it as well as could be expected, but finally being told she couldn't see him had caused many arguments and finally a legitimate fight between herself and her mother. Ichiro felt bad for smiling at the thought. Taking his phone from his pocket, Ichiro pressed the home button, lighting up the lockscreen. It was the same picture it had been since the divorce. A family photo of himself with the kids, his ex-wife cropped out. A sad smile crossed his lips, he unlocked his phone and hovered over Michiko's number in his contact list.

 

"Machichi?"

 

Coco's voice suddenly cut through the silence in the room, Ichiro jumped slightly, looking up to the younger man. He was somewhat surprised to see Coco in a pair of fairly girly pajamas. He wore a sheer tank top, his skin visible underneath, did he have a navel piercing? Ichiro found his eyes locked on Coco's legs... The pj shorts were even smaller than the jean shorts Coco had been wearing earlier. His legs were noticeably clean shaved and smooth, his skin seemed to shine in the dim lighting of the motel room and the smell of shea butter was quickly filling the air.

 

"Ichiro, you okay?" He shifted under the man's gaze. "Is something up?"

 

"S-sorry, everything's fine." Ichiro looked away, ashamed for his obvious staring. "I was just thinking about calling someone." He locked his phone again and made his way over to the bedside. Placing his phone on the nightstand to charge, he sat down, his back to Coco.

 

"I'm heading out at around 10 tomorrow morning." The older man unbuttoned his pants and dropped them, quickly hiding himself under the thick covers. "You can come with me if you like, but you don't have to."

 

"Ooh, 10 a.m.?" Coco winced. "That's so early... I guess I can do it, I might knock out while we're on the road though." He yawned and pulled the covers back on his bed, nestling in for the night.

 

"Early?" Ichiro laughed, switching off the lamp at his bedside. "Man, to be young, I swear."

 

"Well, it's early for me." Coco rolled his eyes, turning over on his stomach and bunching up his pillow for comfort. "I start my days around 11:30 or noon."

 

"Jesus." Ichiro sighed, pulling the cover up around his shoulders. "Well, I'll see if I can't awake you from the dead tomorrow."

 

"Many have tried," Coco said dramatically. "Few have succeeded."

 

"I'm a pretty tenacious guy." The older man grinned. "I think I'm more than capable of getting you up."

 

"I bet." Coco hummed, provocatively to himself.

 

"What?" Ichiro asked, picking his head up off the pillow to look back at the blond.

 

"Nothing. Goodnight, Machichi."

 

'Turn back over, idiot.' Coco thought to himself, wanting to bury himself under the covers. 'Tch, he's not the idiot, you are. Why can't you keep your big mouth shut, Coco?' He scolded himself as he finally saw Ichiro turn over to sleep. 

 

A heavy silence passed between them, Ichiro knew what he had heard but ultimately decided to ignore it. Coco was cute, very cute, but what was the point? He was a temporary fixture for the time being. Despite this, Ichiro wanted to keep talking... He missed talking before sleep. Ichiro had once talked himself to sleep in bed with his wife, whispering sweet nothings to one another and talking about the kids. But now there was only silence for him. All the affections he wished to share with another were tucked away in the back of his mind. Instead, replaced by thoughts of how he needed to move on. He had, in a way, put it behind him. He no longer wished to be with his ex-wife, she wasn't all together bad, but he had long since taken her down from the pedestal he had kept her on for years. But he still felt that need for affection, an emotional connection with someone, anyone. He was still as human as anyone else. A desire to turn over and talk to Coco was welling up in the pit of his stomach, but he felt he shouldn't. He reminded himself again that Coco was only here temporarily...

So what was the point of developing a kinship now?


	2. The Pecan Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coco leaned against the passenger door, staring out the window as the scenery passed by them. It had been a few hours now and while he and Ichiro had talked a lot in the beginning, things had been quiet for a while. And as always, when the silence set in, Coco's mind began racing. He couldn't quite shake the nervous feeling in his gut. He deeply enjoyed being around Ichiro, but that was proving to be a problem now. Ever since his previous partner, Zeke, he had kept every meeting impersonal. Everything from friendly conversation to sexual experiences meant nothing to him. But Ichiro had quickly become someone he might consider a friend. He sighed deeply, annoyed with his own annoyance. He should be happier to have met someone, especially a big, older guy like Ichiro, who was happy to spend time with him. He closed his eyes. Zeke had always told him that he really wasn't worth too much, so why did Ichiro seem to care so much? Maybe it was a bad idea to come with him today. But it wasn't like he could keep running from human contact forever...

Chapter 2: The Pecan Place

 

Coco awoke with a start as he felt a sudden heavy pressure land on the bed. His eyes snapping open, he saw his duffel bag and backpack sitting beside him. Shifting his gaze upwards, he noted Ichiro staring down at him. His hair was still a little damp from his shower, a few strands sticking to his forehead and neck. There was the faint smell of cheap motel shampoo and soap in the air.

 

"Good morning." The redhead said with a grin. "Get up, we gotta get breakfast so I can get to work. Makin' the stretch to Colorado today."

 

"Mmnn..." Coco groaned in annoyance but decided not to test the man's patience. "Alright, I'm getting up..." He yawned, stretching his arms and legs before throwing the blankets off. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Coco grabbed his backpack and a change of clothes. He stood up and made his way to the bathroom.

 

The bathroom was surprisingly well lit given the state of the rest of the room. The lighting wasn't even an ugly yellow, it was white light, perfect for doing his makeup. Dropping the bag onto the sink counter, he fished out his toothbrush and toothpaste and set to work. He could hear Ichiro leave the room, likely making a trip to the truck. Spitting the excess foam into the sink, Coco looked at himself in the mirror. Exhausted. He looked totally and utterly exhausted. Quickly rinsing his toothbrush, he pulled out his mascara and eyeliner. Coco leaned in towards the sink to prepare himself for the day.

 

Ichiro tossed his dirty clothes into a bag behind the seat of his truck. The bag was becoming fairly full, it would be time to stop by a laundromat in a day or so. He wondered if Coco would want to wash his clothes as well. He shook his head, realizing he was getting ahead of himself. The real question was if Coco would still be with him at that time. Climbing down and shutting the door, Ichiro leaned against the cab and pulled out his phone. He cycled through his contacts until coming across his brother's name. He pressed the call icon. The phone rang several times before finally going to voicemail.

 

"Hey, it's me." Ichiro started after the beep. "I know yer at work, but I figured I'd give ya' an update for later." He pulled his phone away to look at the time then placed it back to his ear. "It's 10:15 now, I'm bout to grab breakfast then I'll be makin' my way outta Texas. We're outside of Eden now, outta take 'bout ten or twelve hours to reach Denver. We're probably gonna stop for the night. We'll head and make this delivery tomorrow morning. See ya' then." Ichiro pocketed his phone and headed over to the motel lobby to check out and return the room keys. The air conditioning was refreshing and cold when he entered the room. Everything looked considerably better in the daylight. Things seemed cleaner, somehow, though it was obvious nothing had actually been touched. He tossed the keys onto the counter and waited for the clerk to come and process his leave.

 

After waiting for an eternity, the clerk appeared to process the checkout. The man had an annoying cheerfulness to his voice and it grated on Ichiros' nerves. Tuning the other man out, Ichiro felt relieved when the man finally returned his ID and bank card. Once outside he saw Coco standing next to the truck, his baggage on the ground beside him. Was he wearing a crop top?

 

"Hey, Machichi!" Coco grinned. "I thought you might have abandoned me."

 

"No, I just..." Ichiro looked back to the office. "The guy at the counter was really strange." He unlocked his truck and tossed Coco's belongings and gun ammo inside. He was having a difficult time not staring at the younger man's outfit.

 

Coco wore a pair of cut off jean shorts and a white tank top with the word "Milk" written across the front. He was adorned with golden bracelets and a pair of diamond stud earrings which framed his face. If there was anything to be said about Coco so far, it was that he was pretty fearless given where they were. Ichiro couldn't help but wonder what else he'd end up seeing Coco wear before their time together was over.

 

"You ready to eat, big guy?" The blond donned a pair of rather expensive looking, bug-eye sunglasses. "I'm starving." He began walked towards the street, waiting for Ichiro at the sidewalk edge. "I think I'm gonna pay for my breakfast. I'm pretty hungry."

 

"You can't possibly eat that much, look at the size of ya'." Ichiro laughed, gesturing at Coco's small frame.

 

"You'd be surprised."

 

The two quickly made their way across the street. The diner was fairly full up, it took a few minutes for them to finally be seated. The staring wasn't missed by Coco, he had expected as much with his fabulous daily attire. What could he say? He had nothing but clothes from his previous job and a couple casual tank tops. His wardrobe hadn't even seen a pair of pants in ages. There was simply no need for them in the ever warm climate he was used to.

 

Coco let out a small sigh, he sat down across from Machichi and crossed his legs. He was thankful for his sunglasses. The fabulous shades helped hide the fact that he was looking around the room at the other customers. Most of them were minding their own business, but there were a couple of men giving him an odd look. For once it wasn't right out ugly. Perhaps they hadn't figured it out yet. His thoughts were interrupted by their waitress placing a menu on the table before him. Coco took the menu in hand and placed his sunglasses on the table. Looking over the menu, he was quick to find everything he wanted.

 

"Okaaaay," He drew out the word, still looking at the menu. "I would like three strawberry topped waffles and whatever "extra strawberry sauce" is, I want twice that. Please go easy on the powdered sugar." He paused to allow the waitress to catch up. "I'd like a side of your fresh raspberries with some whipped cream, and orange juice to drink. Before we go, I'll want a vanilla milkshake." He curled his nose. "Actually, make that juice an ice water, I should do something to watch my figure."

 

"Three strawberry waffles, extra-extra sauce, light sugar, raspberry bowl with whipped cream, vanilla shake for the road, and water." She recited the order and then turned to the older man. "And for you?"

 

"Well..." He was in a bit of shock at Coco's incredibly unhealthy order. Shaking it off, he turned his gaze to the waitress. "I'll take two eggs, over-easy, a side of hash-browns, order of toast, and orange juice to drink. Thank you."

 

"Coming right up!" The waitress said, quickly taking their menus. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

 

"Yer really gonna eat all that?" Ichiro asked in confusion. "That's a lotta food."

 

"It takes a lot of goodies to power this machine." The blond grinned at him and leaned forward on the table. "I know it's not healthy, but you gotta treat yourself sometimes, ya' know?"

 

"I suppose." A soft laugh escaped the older man. "So, have you decided if you're going with me or not?" He tried to make the question as nonchalant as possible. He mentally prepared himself for Coco's goodbyes.

 

"If you'll let me, I'd like to get a ride out of Texas." Coco rested his head on one hand. "You are okay with it, right?" He sounded mildly concerned but tried not to let it show too much.

 

"Of course," The man answered. "it gets pretty boring by myself all the time. Plus you seem like a pretty good guy."

 

The waitress returned and placed their drinks down. She asked rather obligatory questions and then left once again to wait for their orders to come out. 

 

Coco had wanted to say something back to Ichiro, but the man's phone began ringing and he decided not to bother. He noted the happy tone to Ichiro's voice when he answered the phone, whoever it was, he was fond of them. With Ichiro distracted, Coco slowly lowered his gaze to the man's shoulders and chest. Ichiro was wearing a rather casual, black v-neck shirt. It fit him well. It stretched over his broad shoulders and thick chest, but didn't look uncomfortable. For a truck driver, the man seemed to have good taste in clothing.

 

"Yeah." Ichiro answered some unheard question. "Yeah, good. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he hung up the phone and placed it down on the table. "That was my brother, he works out at the plant I'm delivering those car parts to." He sipped at his glass of juice. "I checked traffic on my GPS earlier, it should take 'bout seven hours to get across state lines."

 

"Let me look at a map." Coco pulled out his phone and opened up a quick internet search. "Going to Colorado so... We're going west. Are we gonna go through Oklahoma or New Mexico?"

 

"We'll go through New Mexico." Ichiro took another drink and sat his glass down. "We won't be going far though," he leaned forward and pointed at the closest corner of the state. "We'll be goin' through that area, there. Figure we'll stop for dinner 'round then. From there, it shouldn't take us more than four hours to reach Denver."

 

"That's a long ride." Coco's eyes widened a little, looking down at the map with displeasure. "Oh well, at least this time I'll get the full trucking experience."

 

"How many other guys have you caught rides with, anyway?" Ichiro asked. "I know you said you travel a lot, I'm just wondering how many long trips you do."

 

"Oh, none really." Coco shrugged. "I've gotten a lot of rides... But I've never really stuck with anyone before." He fidgeted with his straw before taking a sip of his water again. "This is the longest I've ever stuck around... Where is our food?" Coco wanted to change the subject, he didn't like the idea of discussing any of his side jobs with the older man. He was enjoying himself too much to bring all that up. "Looks like she's bringing it now."

 

The older man simply stared at Coco when he changed the topic so abruptly. He had obviously said something he shouldn't have, but Coco didn't seem too upset by it. 'Maybe I was being too forward... Or maybe it's just not my business.' Ichiro was lost in thought as the waitress brought their food. 'I shouldn't ask him such weird questions, I've known him what? Not even a full twenty-four hours.' He suddenly noticed Coco looking across the table at him. 'Oh god, is he talking to me? He's talking to me. Shit, what did he say?'

 

"I asked, if you wanted me to pay for your breakfast." Coco clarified for the clearly confused man.

 

"You wanna pay for my food?" Ichiro managed to calm himself. He saw Coco wasn't angry or annoyed that he hadn't been paying attention. "That's not necessary."

 

"I know it isn't necessary," The blond smiled warmly. "I just want to do it. Consider it thanks for helping me out so much. I mean, you gave me a ride, paid for my dinner, and a motel room." Coco looked down at the strawberry soaked food on his plate. "That's more than anyone else has ever done for me. Even people I called my close friends."

 

"Don't mention it." The man picked up his fork and began eating. "It was really no big deal. I saw ya' out there and knew I couldn't let ya' keep wandering 'round." He flagged down the waitress for a refill on his orange juice. "I'm just not that kinda guy."

 

Coco cut into the juicy and moist waffles on his plate and eagerly took a huge bite. If he were a lesser man he would have made a noise. They were soft inside and crisp on the outside. The strawberry sauce soaking in made it a truly flavor packed treat. He continued to eat in near silence, not much came between himself and whatever was on his plate. Ichiro looked like he was trying to scarf everything down and get on the road, anyway. Coco made quick work of his waffles but took his sweet time eating the bowl of raspberries and cream he'd gotten. He and Ichiro both insisted on paying for their food, so it came down to them simply splitting the check. He looked across the room to the cash register where Ichiro stood in line. 

 

"Mn, he really does know how to dress." Coco donned his sunglasses to inspect the man less conspicuously. He was wearing a pair of fairly regular looking jeans, but they practically put his butt on display. 'Does he even know?' The blond thought to himself. 'Really, how could he not?' He looked away when Ichiro turned around to head back with the milkshake.

 

"Here's yer change." Ichiro walked up to the table, handing Coco his milkshake and change. "Why are you wearing sunglasses inside? 

 

"No reason." Coco took both the items eagerly. While pocketing his change, Coco caught sight of the man's shoes. "Ooh, girl! Those shoes, I didn't even notice them before." 

 

"Uh, thanks?" Ichiro looked down to his feet then back up to Coco. The boots were shiny, spotless black leather. A chain accent looped across the top of the ankle to connect with two leather straps and metal ring on either side. "They're "Chelsea boots" or somethin' like that." 

 

"Don't pretend you ain't savvy." Coco smirked, placing a hand on his hip and sipping from the milkshake. "Those are new as of this year, Dulcate brand, and you know it. Those aren't "just Chelsea boots" those are $600 Chelsea boots."

 

"And they were made for walking, can we go?" Ichiro sounded a little huffy.

 

"Aww, don't be mad!" Coco laughed, following after the older man. "Everybody's gotta treat themselves at some point, remember?"

 

"I guess." Ichiro held the door open and then followed Coco out. "They were an irresponsible impulse buy." The man checked the street for traffic then headed out across. "I was going through the mall to find a gift for my niece and I saw these and ended up blowing $600 on them."

 

"You didn't "blow" the money," Coco corrected, sounded oddly genuine and kind. "if you like them then," He huffed, running across the street with Ichiro. "it isn't money wasted." He hopped up on the curb, trying to stay beside the older man. "I mean, it's a lot of money for shoes, but they're shoes you like. They make you feel good about yourself, I assume, so it's not a waste of money. Besides," They finally came to a stop next to the shiny red semi. Coco put his hands on his hips, looking the older man up and down. "they look amazing on you. The whole outfit does, really."

 

"Coco..." Ichiro started, but wasn't sure what to say. It had been a long while since he'd received any kind of real compliment from anyone who wasn't in his family. It made him feel... Good. "That's um," He was cut off by the buzzing of his phone in his back pocket. 

 

"Is there a phone in your pocket or are you just packing extra goodies?" Coco laughed at his own joke.

 

"What?" Ichiro made a face at Coco, unsure if Coco was actually referring to what he thought. "No, this is my "get yer ass on the road" alarm. We gotta get goin', hop up in the truck." He opened the door and stepped inside and unlocked the passenger door for the younger man.

 

"No sense of humor, I see." Coco muttered to himself as he jogged around to the passenger side. He swung the door open and climbed up into the seat. "I always feel like a kid in this seat, it's so roomy."

 

"Yeah, I paid good money for this thing." He cranked the ignition and looked over to Coco. "And that's money I don't regret spending."

 

\---

 

Coco leaned against the passenger door, staring out the window as the scenery passed by them. It had been a few hours now and while he and Ichiro had talked a lot in the beginning, things had been quiet for a while. And as always, when the silence set in, Coco's mind began racing. He couldn't quite shake the nervous feeling in his gut. He deeply enjoyed being around Ichiro, but that was proving to be a problem now. Ever since his previous partner, Zeke, he had kept every meeting impersonal. Everything from friendly conversation to sexual experiences meant nothing to him. But Ichiro had quickly become someone he might consider a friend. He sighed deeply, annoyed with his own annoyance. He should be happier to have met someone, especially a big, older guy like Ichiro, who was happy to spend time with him. He closed his eyes. Zeke had always told him that he really wasn't worth too much, so why did Ichiro seem to care so much? Maybe it was a bad idea to come with him today. But it wasn't like he could keep running from human contact forever...

 

Speaking of human contact, Ichiro had mentioned they would meet up with his brother. Coco wasn't sure how to process that information. He'd always hated being the third wheel in any situation, so how was he supposed to interact? It would be impossible to stay relevant between Ichiro and someone the man knew already? Much less his brother? Coco wondered what the man must look like. If he was tall and strong or if he was more of a runt. At least if he was short, he and Coco would have something to joke about next to Ichiro. He felt his anxiety welling up in his stomach, he felt sick. Hopefully Ichiro would help guide him in the situation and not leave him hanging like Zeke often did. He remembered the countless times he'd been abandoned at parties or not included. It wasn't something he ever wanted to feel again. But wasn't he sort of secluding himself now? At least it was of his own volition... At least...

 

"You okay over there, Blondie?"

 

"Hm?" Coco turned to look at Ichiro. "Yeah, I'm fine, it's just..." He adjusted himself in the seat, staring down at the floorboard beneath his feet. "You said we were going to meet your brother, right? What's he like? Is he like you?"

 

"You're worried about meeting my brother?" Ichiro would have laughed if he didn't see how genuinely upset Coco seemed. "Why? He's got his shit together, nice house, wife, adorable kid, good job."

 

"You don't think he'll be..." Coco curled his lip, trying to think of the correct way to say what he felt. " He won't be bothered by me?"

 

"If you're asking if Takashi is homophobic, then no, he's not." Ichiro glanced over to his small passenger. "He's a good guy. I think so long as you don't make crude jokes or cuss in front of Sylvia, everything will be fine."

 

"Sylvia?" Coco asked.

 

"My niece," Ichiro clarified. "Takashi's daughter. She's adorable, no, adorable doesn't even begin to describe her." The man smiled. "She's seven years old, cutest thing you'll ever see. She's wild though."

 

"Is that so?" Coco laughed, finally cracking a smile as Ichiro gushed about his niece.

 

"Yeah!" Ichiro replied, gesturing with one hand to emphasize his words. "I got used to having tea parties with my daughter, Michiko, when she was little. But Sylvia is on a whole other level." He laughed. "Okay so one time, I was having a lunch party with her. Takashi bought her this toy stove for her birthday. So I'm sittin' there and she opens up the stove and pulls out a little plush dog toy and sets it on my plate, right?" Ichiro paused for effect. "So I ask her "what's this?" and Sylvia, deadpan goes "It's a hotdog." And I lost my mind."

 

"What the fuck?" Coco snorted with laughter. "That's fucked up!"

 

"I know!" The man exclaimed, placing his hand back on the steering wheel. "I was so shocked. I told Takashi and his wife, Davina, that Sylvia could never have a dog. Just keep dogs out of the house."

 

"Machichi, you can't just tell me a child is cute and then tell me she served you dog toy for lunch!" Coco covered his face with his hands. "Oh my god, that's amazing. I can't wait to meet her. I-I mean, if I meet her." He held his hands out. "I need her autograph." His hands dropped to his lap with a light flop noise.

 

"Well, I'm delivering this stuff to AWB tomorrow." Ichiro started. "After that, I got the rest of the day free. I was gonna spend it with Takashi an' Sylvia... If you uhh, if you'd wanna come."

 

"You don't think he'd mind?"

 

"Mmn, are you good with kids?" The man raised a brow. "That's probably the only stipulation he'd have."

 

"I don't know." Coco furrowed his brow, looking confused and thoughtful. "I've never really been around kids."

 

"You haven't caught any rides with traveling families or anything?" Ichiro asked, glancing over to the young blond. "Seems kinda odd."

 

"Wh-well no, I've always just gotten rides with.. random guys."

 

"Mn... Actually that makes sense." Ichiro shrugged. "If I was drivin' around with my kids in the back seat, I don't know if I'd pick up a stranger either. Might be dangerous."

 

"Exactly!" Coco found himself lying once again. "It's just not safe for the kids, which I totally get." He looked out the window, not wanting to face Ichiro for a moment. He needed to gather himself. Ichiro was obviously fine with him being gay. But if he found out about his little side business, who knew what how the man would react.

 

"Oh, speaking of dangerous." Ichiro gestured towards the back of the semi. "I put yer ammo on one of the couches in the back if ya' wanna get it." Returning his hand to the steering wheel, he continued. "I tossed it back there in case anyone looked in the cab."

 

"Thanks," Coco glanced back to the eating area then turned back to the window. "I'll get it later, I don't think we'll be in any shootouts just yet." He 

 

"Hey uh, you gettin' hungry yet?" The older man looked over for a second then back to the road. "There's a nice diner in a town around here that we can go to. It's coming up here in a few minutes."

 

"Huh? Oh, I guess so." He looked around at the nigh on wasteland surroundings. "Is there really a good place? All I see out here are cows an' shit."

 

"Yeah, it's really nice." Ichiro insisted. "I've stopped by there before. I hope it's still open." A sad look came to his eye, a slight twinge of pain. "My ex-wife and I used to stop by here on our way through this way."

 

"Oh?" This piqued Coco's interest. "Did she ride along during your hauls?"

 

"No, no." Ichiro corrected. "I didn't start trucking until after Tamara and I divorced." He waved his hand dismissively. "We used to take road trips. No hauling, no responsibilities, well, cept to get back before vacation was over." Ichiro smiled weakly. "It was fun, havin' you around sorta reminds me of it."

 

"Mn..." Coco wasn't sure how to take the statement. He wasn't exactly keen on being compared to old times with the man's ex-wife. He looked back out the window, leaving the other man to his thoughts. Coco suddenly became aware of the passing, very dilapidated buildings along the roadside. "Um...."

 

"Somethin' up?" The older man asked, glancing over to the young blond.

 

"Okay..." Coco sounded confused and almost offended. "I know that we've been driving through..." He searched for the right words. "Rural.. Nonsense. For like, ever, now. But..." He turned to Ichiro. "What the fuck is this?" He gestured to the almost deserted looking town they were driving into. "Where are we?"

 

"It's called Floydada."

 

"We can't stop here," The blond gestured widely at the outside scenery. "this place looks like every bad decision in a horror movie."

 

"It's fine," Ichiro laughed. "we're just stopping for lunch. We'll eat and then be on our way."

 

"No we're not!" Coco said incredulously. "Have you SEEN us!? I'm gay! And you're brown. We are going to die here."

 

"We're not gonna die." Ichiro stifled a laugh. "I've been here plenty of times."

 

"Yeah, with a woman!" Coco huffed. "The only choice keeping you alive out here! Now you've just got me! And probably about fifty angry white people named Earl... And Mary."

 

Ichiro shook his head as the younger man continued.

 

"Probably Carol Anne and Tommy." Coco sighed. "I'm going to be killed by someone who has had sex with his cousin, because I got in a car with a stranger. It's like every after school special I skipped to go smoke."

 

"Jesus..."

 

The young blond fell into silence as he looked around the town they were driving through. It looked miserable. There was more dirt than grass and the buildings were the most plain and boring things he'd ever laid eyes on. Did everyone in this town own a pickup truck or what? It was all he'd seen aside from a couple small, equally boring, gray cars. He may not have had the best memories of his home, but he thanked the stars he wasn't born here. Coco half expected to see a horse and carriage before they finally made it to the restaurant. He felt like a child being dragged along to some terrible appointment by their parent. He was sure Ichiro was over estimating the people of the town. When the truck went into park, Coco looked back at his gun ammo on the couch behind them... He turned back, deciding not to bring it, everything should be well enough. Hopefully no one would actually start something in a restaurant.

 

Coco stepped down from the truck and headed around to meet Ichiro on the other side. He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked up to see the name of the diner written across the front.

 

"I'm sorry," Coco narrowed his eyes. "are you really trying to take me into a building called "The Pecan Place"?" He placed his hands on his hips, taking in the view of the wooden cabin styled restaurant. "I mean, I guess it's a cute name."

 

"This place has the best pecan pie you'll ever have."

 

"And quite possibly the last." Coco quipped as he lazily strolled past the older man and up to the large double doors.

 

"Very funny." Ichiro held the door open for Coco and then followed after him. "We'll have to wait to be seated."

 

"Man," The young blond hated the compliments stirring up in his mind. "the place might be in Hickville, USA but they do know how to decorate." He looked around at the rustic atmosphere of the so called Pecan Place. The floors were polished concrete, shining with a deep amber stain. The tables were reclaimed wood, stained espresso, with shiny metal siding and legs. The chairs and stools were the same. Everything had a very "repurposed" feel to it. People were drinking from mason jars and there were small peanut buckets on the tables. The lights overhead were Edison style bulbs, hanging from suspended wooden beams.

 

After a several minutes of waiting, a young man came to greet them at the front. He was of average height, with dark brown hair, green eyes, and seemingly no older than Coco. The waiter introduced himself as Christopher and waved them on to follow him to their table. Ichiro was too busy looking around at the old decor, but Coco noticed how the waiter kept glancing back at him. He seemed a little too interested for Coco's liking. Arriving at the table, he gestured for each of the men to sit. Placing down two menus, he pulled out his ticket book and pen.

 

"Now, what would you two..." He eyed Coco before continuing. "Gentlemen, care for to drink today?"

 

"I'll take a sweet tea, no lemon." Ichiro already knew his beverage of choice. Coco however, was apathetically staring down the menu.

 

"Um..." He made a smacking sound with his lips. "I'll have the strawberry lemonade."

 

"Alrighty then." The waiter annoyingly drew out the word. "I'll be right back with your drinks while you guys decide what you want to eat."

 

"See?" Ichiro said assuredly. "It's not so bad."

 

"Are you kidding me?" Coco raised a brow. "Machichi, did you seriously not see the guy turning around to look at me when we were comin' over here?" He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and toying with one of his bracelets. "That guy had gross written all over his face."

 

"I didn't notice him staring." Ichiro huffed. "Maybe you're imagining things." As if on cue, Ichiro looked over to a couple of staff members who were watching them. The two turned their heads no sooner than he had seen them.

 

"I guess I imagined that too." Coco snorted. "Listen, big guy, I'm not saying this place wasn't cool or had good food when you came before." Coco caught their waiter staring at him again, he shifted uncomfortably. "I'm just saying that maybe things weren't really as good as you remember."

 

The older man did not reply to Coco's statement, he simply picked up his menu and began to browse the options. It had been a long time since he had been here. Some of the menu items had changed, omitted, or became more or less expensive. Nothing was really the same except for a few signature meals. Quickly narrowing down his desired dinner, he peered over the edge of the menu to see Coco looking at his own. Of course Ichiro had gotten a faint whiff that things weren't quite as they should be with the waiter. But ultimately he didn't think things could go that off track. Besides, he was a fairly large man, it wasn't common for anyone to antagonize him.

 

"Okay, I have your drinks!" The waiter reappeared, setting down Ichiro's tea and Coco's vibrant pink, strawberry lemonade. "Have y'all decided on what you wanna eat?"

 

"Yeah, I'd like to get your house salad." Coco smiled up at the waiter, who was obviously checking out his legs. "Prepackaged ranch on the side please." He wanted to kick his kneecap in but decided faking kindness would serve him better. "If you don't have any prepackaged, I'll take the salad without dressing." He placed the menu on the table and sipped on his lemonade while his older companion placed his order.

 

"And I'll take uhh," Ichiro looked back down at the menu for a second. "your porkchop plate, lima beans and spinach with vinegar for the sides." He handed the waiter both of their menus and nodded as their orders were repeated back to them.

 

"I'll have your orders right out!" The waiter headed towards the kitchen. He gave another creepy, longing look at Coco as he disappeared behind the kitchen door.

 

"So yer gettin' a salad?" The older man smiled, raising his arms over his head. "You had such a huge breakfast, now yer tryin'a watch yer figure?" A quiet groan escaped him and he arched his back to stretch. His shirt rode up slightly to expose a portion of his belly.

 

"Tch, yeah." Coco huffed, smirking back. He eyed the area of the older man's stomach that became visible as he stretched. "Looks like you should try a salad or two, yourself." The blond leaned in, propping his head on one hand and gesturing towards Ichiro with the other. "Or not, I think you can work it. Being beefy an' all."

 

"Huh?" Ichiro glanced down to see his exposed skin. He quickly jerked the tail of his shirt down over his stomach, a heavy blush breaking out across his cheeks. "I'm sorry." He muttered. "I thought this shirt fit me better than this."

 

"Aww," Coco playfully pouted. "It was such a nice view, too." He sipped at his strawberry lemonade. "No worries, Machichi." He winked. "I promise I won't tell anyone about your scandalous wardrobe."

 

"Mn," Ichiro muttered. "It's embarrassing, I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again."

 

"Wait," Coco raised a brow. "You're serious?" He pushed set his drink on the table, gripping it with one hand and gesturing with the other. "How can you possibly think that? You're built like a brick house." He nodded his head slightly for emphasis. "It was an accident anyway, nothing to be ashamed of." It wasn't hard to see that he'd made Ichiro uncomfortable. He decided it was best to drop the subject, maybe apologize later.

 

"Ah.. Anyway," Coco changed the subject. "Yeah, I figured I'd get a salad. I'll be able to tell if they spit in it."

 

"You aren't serious." Ichiro looked up from the table, bewildered. "They wouldn't do that."

 

"I don't trust anything about the shifty eyes on that waiter of ours." Coco huffed. "Believe me or not, he's been staring at me since we got here."

 

"They're more likely to spit in yer food if they hear you talkin' like that." Ichiro said dismissively, taking a drink from his sweet tea.

 

"So," Coco ignored Ichiro's warning. "can I ask you a question? Like a personal one."

 

"Uh..." Ichiro gave a suspicious and concerned look, leaning back in his seat. "I guess so?" He hadn't even heard the question yet and he wanted to shrink as far away from Coco as he could. 

 

"You mentioned having a daughter." Coco crossed his forearms on the table. "How often do you see her?" He fidgeted with one of his bracelets. "How old is she? Do you have other kids?" He sounded more nervous with each question he added on. He finally stopped before he gave away every thought in his head.

 

"That's more than one question, but..." The older man reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, sighing softly. "I have two kids. Michiko is seventeen and Devon, my son, is nine." He looked wistful at best. "I don't see them as often as I should. I can tell Michiko resents me for it sometimes, but I'm putting money in her college fund with this job. Me an' Tamara started putting away for Devon too. They're both real smart, got good heads on their shoulders. They could really do somethin' with their lives. Not like me an' their mom..."

 

"I don't think it's fair to say you've done nothing with your life." Coco encouraged the older man. He tentatively reached out and placed his hand over Ichiro's. "You've got two kids who you obviously adore," he gently gripped Ichiro's hand. "you sound like an awesome uncle to your niece, and you get to travel, have a well paying job. I think you've got a lot going for you."

 

"That's..." He felt nervous at the contact, staring down at Coco's hand as if it were some foreign object. "That's awful kind of you to say, Coco. If only it felt as romantic as you phrase it."

 

"It can." Coco's grip weakened with the realization that the waiter was heading towards them. "O-oh..." He pulled away and placed both hands in his lap. He avoided eye contact with the other men as their lunch was set before them.

 

"Enjoy." 

 

The waiter's voice seemed more fake than before as he nodded and walked away. Coco wasn't complaining though, he considered himself lucky the waiter hadn't said more. Glancing up at the older man, he saw Ichiro was already working on slicing up his pork chops. He watched, studying how Ichiro's hands gripped the knife and fork. His skin was soft, which caught Coco by surprise. It wasn't every day that he encountered such a man's man who also took care of his skin. As pathetic as it was, most men treated skin care like the plague, as if a dollop of lotion was poison. It was always refreshing to meet a man who didn't mind a little shea butter.

 

"What about you?" Ichiro looked up from his plate to see Coco casually poking through the salad with his fork. "You got any family? Anyone special?"

 

"Oh, um." The blond looked surprised by the interest. "I don't really speak to my family anymore." Ichiro noted a sadness that he hadn't seen in Coco before. "And no. I don't have anyone special. That ship sailed a while ago."

 

"Gosh," Ichiro paused, thinking on Coco's words. "I can't imagine not talking to my family."

 

"It's easier than you'd think." Coco took a sip from his lemonade. "It's not a big deal though," he faked a smile. "we were never really close." His stomach turned at the lie. "Besides, they're a bunch of sticks in the mud, anyway."

 

"Don't you get lonesome?" Ichiro asked. "Out on the road by yourself?"

 

"Don't you?"

 

Ichiro felt an overwhelming sadness hit him. He wanted to ask Coco if he was alright, but felt that he shouldn't. It was obvious that he'd struck a nerve with the younger man. He decided to back off, this was a conversation for another time. He looked around, trying to think of what to change the subject to.

 

"You still inspecting that salad?" He noted Coco was still sifting through the lettuce.

 

"Heh, yeah." Coco cracked a smile. "I don't see any saliva, so I'd venture to say everything's good."

 

"The food always has been good here." Ichiro bit into his pork chops. "These are just as savory as the last time I came here." He was practically shoveling the food into his mouth. "Ya' know, it's real unusual for a place to not decline with their food."  
resting 

 

"This salad is pretty crispy and fresh." Coco begrudgingly admitted.

 

"I told you."

 

"When did you come here last, anyway?" Coco tore open the dressing packs and drizzled them over the bountiful pile of lettuce, tomato, grilled chicken, and crisped onions. "You make it sound like it's been forever."

 

"Oh man," Ichiro slouched in his seat, resting his head on the back of one hand. "I reckon it's been about seventeen years."

 

"Holy shit," Coco's eyes widened. "You weren't joking. How did you even know this place still existed?"

 

"I know how to use the internet, Coco." Ichiro sounded mildly defensive. "But uh, yeah, I ain't been here since before Michiko was born." His initial irritation was replaced by a remnicant smile. "I told you that me and Tamara used to travel a lot. The last time we came here was right before finding out she was pregnant." He took a drink of his sweet tea. "After that, our only road trips were to family on holidays."

 

"Did you miss it?" Coco quirked an eyebrow. "Seems like it was a sudden loss of freedom. I mean, you two weren't planning for kids, were you?" He took another forkful of lettuce and tomato in his mouth. He noticed how Ichiro seemed focused on his lips.

 

"Oh no, Michiko was quite the surprise." Ichiro laughed, looking away from the younger man. "But you see, that's the thing. Life is a series of chapters in a book. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true." He rested his head in the palm of his left hand. "Every day you wake up, you're writing your own story, or maybe someone else is. I've never been sure of that part." Ichiro smiled as he continued. "But one way or another you're being guided through all of these experiences. Some for the better and others not." He gestured, single handed, tilting his hand to one side then the other to show uncertainty. "Road trips with Tamara were great. But the chapter dedicated to that seemingly, never ending, honeymoon did come to an close. One convenience store pregnancy test and suddenly it was time to learn how to take care of a family." His smile had not wavered once. "Yes, it was a huge loss of freedom, but that doesn't mean I regret any of it."

 

"So..." Coco toyed with the straw in his drink to shift the ice. "What chapter are you in now?" His gaze flicked up to Ichiro, intently locking eyes with the man.

 

"My current chapter." Ichiro said thoughtfully. "I don't know for sure..." He returned Coco's gaze, his own holding a softness he'd almost forgotten. "But I think I'm at a turning point. That moment right before something interesting happens. How about you?"

 

"O-oh." Coco pushed his drink aside. "That's... Shoot, I'll be right back, I really have to use the restroom." The blond faked urgency as he pushed back from the table and walked towards the back of the restaurant.

 

Ichiro turned around and watched as Coco disappeared into the back. He hoped that he hadn't done anything to upset the younger man. Facing forward again, Ichiro continued eating. He eyed Coco's plate of food as well, seemed as though Coco wasn't too hungry. Ichiro wondered if Coco really was comfortable eating here. It was true that Coco had protested, but he hadn't flat out refused. Ichiro decided it would be best to ask when Coco returned.

 

\---

 

Coco pulled the restroom door open and dove inside, slamming the door shut behind him. With a quick turn of the lock, Coco leaned against the door for a moment before lazily walking over to the sink. Seeing his face come into focus, Coco sighed, it was becoming difficult to ignore his anxiety. He hid himself away in an empty stall, sitting on the toilet and staring at his hands.

 

"What am I doing?" Coco slumped over, covering his face with his hands. "Am I really flirting with this guy?" Coco pushed his fingers up through his hair and twisted his fingertips in his roots. "On one hand, he seems like a good guy. Sweet, strong, good sense of values... Ugh, how is he divorced? He's obviously lonely..." He stared at the floor below, as if the worn tile could answer all the questions bubbling up inside of him. He felt his anxiety eating him from the inside out, he felt like he was going to be sick. His body trembled and he felt short of breath. "Am I taking advantage of the situation? I don't wanna take advantage of anyone."

 

Coco sat up straight, resting his hands on his knees. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath to try and steady his nerves. The twisting in his gut was as violent as ever and all he could think to do was breathe. Breathe. He repeated the word in his mind, taking in struggled breathes and exhaling after a moment. He tried to calm himself. With positive affirmations, Coco tried to dispel the negative thoughts filling his mind. After a couple of minutes, Coco opened his eyes and forced himself to exit the restroom stall. Making a quick stop at the sink to wash his hands, he left the restroom to head back to his table.

 

"Hey there beautiful." The leering waiter had been waiting outside the door. He turned and propped himself against the wall as he greeted the blond young man. "I was beginning to think you might be sick."

 

"Oh no, what do you want?" Coco placed his hands on his hips. "You can interrogate me at my table. My friend is waiting."

 

"We don' get many queers 'round here." The waiter smiled smugly, moving in Coco's way as he tried to walk past. "Especially not as purdy as you are." He stepped closer, leaning in far too comfortably.

 

"Ugh, gross." Coco covered his nose. "I guess you don't get much oral hygiene around here either, huh?"

 

"Oh! You got a mouth on you!" The man scoffed. "I like 'dat!" His southern accent was becoming worse as he got excited. He gripped Coco's jaw, forcing the short blond to look him in the eye. "Don't get so defensive." He released Coco's jaw, lightly patting him on the cheek twice before pulling away. "I just wanna have some fun. You a big city boy, I'm sure you know what I mean."

 

"Listen, I'm sure you're all romantically repressed." Coco rolled his eyes, holding his hands out in front of him. "I'm sure you're living a tragic existence and I'm very sure the trunk of your car is quite cozy." He huffed, trying to work his way past the other man. "Goodbye."

 

"C'mon, pretty boy." The guy laughed, blocking off Coco's attempted escape and pinning him to the wall. "You can't be that up tight, can ya'? I mean look at ya', runnin' round with that old guy."

 

"Get lost!" Coco winced, pushing his hand against the other man's face as he tried to force him away. "You know what? Fuck you!" Coco raised one leg and stomped his right heel into the waiter's ankle, snapping it with ease. The other man's ankle rolled and he hit the floor. Leaving the waiter behind, Coco shoved him away and ran past him towards the dining area.

 

"You fucking faggot!" The waiter yelled. "You bitch! I can't.. Fuck!" The man staggered as he tried to stand. In his struggle, he hadn't noticed the larger, red headed man approaching him. Suddenly, the waiter felt himself being lifted off the ground. 

 

"Excuse me." Ichiro's voice was gruff but calm. "I heard the commotion and came over to check it out."

 

"UWAAH!!" The waiter became very aware of how much smaller he was than the older man. "Y-Yer bitch boy over there fuckin' broke my ankle!" He pointed past Ichiro to where the angry blond glared at him around the corner of the hallway. "I hope yer ready to cover my fuckin' hospital bill!"

 

"Oh no," Ichiro helped the man to stand and steady himself. "I saw what happened." His calm attitude took on a rather sinister eeriness as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Or I saw enough of it."

 

"Hey, I dun--." The lecherous man couldn't get much out before the impact of Ichiro's fist sent him to the floor. The man landed roughly and did not move, a tooth bouncing once on the floor and sliding a couple feet away. Blood bubbled out of his mouth and he sputtered as his consciousness faded.

 

"Hey, hey." Ichiro walked over, picking the man's tooth up from the floor. He nudged the waiter with his boot then stepping over to straddle the man's shoulders. Ichiro squatted down, slapping the man several times to help him wake up. "You okay?" He grinned as the waiter opened his eyes. "Listen, I'm gonna take this tooth." Ichiro said sternly. "Not because I want it, but cause I don't want you to get it put back in." He stood up, stepping on the man's face with the heel of his boot. "Have a good night."

 

Along with the staff and customers standing around them, Coco stood wide eyed and in shock. He watched as Ichiro came close. There was a feeling of immense comfort as Ichiro put an arm around his shoulders. The older man pulled him away from the scene and towards the exit.

 

"We won't be paying for our food." Ichiro smiled and waved to the cashier. "I think it's the least y'all can do for my friend."

 

"Uhh, of course." The cashier girl gave a nervous smile and stood motionless as the two left.

 

Leaving the restaurant, Ichiro guided Coco over to the rig and stopped at the passenger door.

 

"What are you doing?" Coco asked, watching as Ichiro gently looked him over. His hands were so soft and warm considering he'd just knocked a guy's tooth out. "Hey, answer me."

 

"I'm checking to see if you're hurt." Ichiro huffed, unhanding Coco and placing his hands on his hips. "I'm just really worried. Did he hurt you?"

 

"No, I'm fine." Coco rolled his eyes, angrily placing his hands on his hips. "I mean, are you sure he was actually hurting me? Maybe you were just imagining it." He turned his back to Ichiro, crossing his arms and refusing to look at the older man.

 

"I deserve that." The red head sighed. "I should have listened to you."

 

"Yeah, you should have." Coco snapped. "Listen, I get that you came here forever ago and had a good time and I get that you have a ton of good memories here. I get that you think because it was safe and fun for you and your wife, that it was be fine." He winced, gently gripping his upper arms. "But things that are fun and safe for straight people aren't always so good for gay people. Anyone in the community, actually."

 

"I'm sorry, I should have thought about it more." Ichiro sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "You uh... You did pretty good though. I saw you break his ankle."

 

"Yeah, I did." The blond couldn't help but crack a smile. "That was my signature move in Miami."

 

"You just went around breaking ankles in Miami?"

 

"All the time." Coco smirked, turning around to face Ichiro. "And the bigger they were, the harder they fell."

 

"Is that a threat?" Ichiro raised a brow, returning Coco's smug expression as he opened up the passenger door.

 

"Oh it's a promise," Coco nodded his head. "don't ever bring me out into a death trap like this again." He placed his hands on his hips, looking up to the taller man beside him. "I'll snap both your ankles."

 

"Get in the truck." Ichiro laughed, rolling his eyes and turning to leave.

 

"H-hey..." Coco reached out and grabbed hold of the back of Ichiro's shirt. He felt his cheeks burning as the older man looked down at him. Twisting his fingers in the fabric of the man's shirt, Coco anxiously stepped closer. He gently pulled Ichiro towards him. Coco pressed his forehead against Ichiro's chest. Gently wrapping his arms around the man's middle, Coco spoke softly. "Really though... It means so much that you helped me." Coco exhaled as Ichiro rested a hand on his head, gently stroking his hair. "Thank you."

 

"Any time, Coco."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos are appreciated and comments are divine! Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below! - Harley D


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